


the lick of flames

by 님 (nymmiah)



Series: draconic [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Au Ra Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Body Dysphoria, F/M, Female Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward Spoilers, M/M, Multi, Named Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Non-Human Genitalia, Polyamory, Porn With Plot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:55:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26708590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nymmiah/pseuds/%EB%8B%98
Summary: Though Aymeric and Haurchefant never spoke of it, she knew they wished to return to Ishgard. And so they would, even if it meant tearing down her walls and her tenets.Continuation of "flight", a canon-divergent AU in which Aymeric and Haurchefant accidentally consumed dragon's blood prior to the events of HW.
Relationships: Aymeric de Borel/Haurchefant Greystone, Aymeric de Borel/Warrior of Light, Haurchefant Greystone/Warrior of Light
Series: draconic [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1941397
Comments: 9
Kudos: 38





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a shameless excuse for fixing things in canon, character study/development, and dragon dick. If things don't make sense, they shouldn't.
> 
> Also, I'm ever thankful to Jin for encouraging my awful writing and ideas. Thank you dude ♡

The days had all blurred together into an endless stretch of indescribable happiness. Ryuuna was loved, and she loved Aymeric and Haurchefant in turn dearly.

She was content to remain within the circle of their arms, to partake in that endless pleasure that they extended so freely, and to merely  _ be _ with them. They demanded naught from her, asked her not to return to the duties that she had forsaken, and she was fiercely grateful for their kindness.

She had healed in this short time that she had spent with them, it could not be denied. Within mere moons, her brother was no longer a gaping wound upon her spirit, and she no longer lingered upon Ul'dah. In the darkness of the cave that they called home, she had made for herself a place of comfort and peace.

It almost felt as if a dream, a wistful thought that could fade away the moment she snapped to attention once more; the darkness of the cave only added to this sense, addling her mind and leaving her wondering, ever wondering, if this was truly real.

She would be ever reminded of the veracity of her circumstance when she was scooped up within their arms and kissed, made love to in all of the impossible ways of which they were capable.

She was full, glutted up on her happiness, her love, her joy--

However, she was not oblivious to the shadow that yet hung over their heads.

When they were still, she had found that Aymeric's thoughts ever returned to his people, to the home he had been forced to forsake, and Haurchefant too seemed distant on some days as he gazed over the horizon to some unknown place.

They wished to return to Ishgard.

  
  


"What is heresy?" She asked one night, tucked against the warmth of Aymeric's bulk with her hand tangled with his. She ran her fingers along the sinuous length of his fingers, touched gingerly the sharp points of his claws, and gently stroked at the scales that covered his flesh.

Aymeric was silent for quite some time, gently extricating his hand from hers. She sought not to find it again, though she was concerned by his sudden reticence.

"How would you like me to answer that?" He asked quietly.

"By what do you mean?" Ryuuna asked, raising her head to look towards his direction.

She felt his hand return, his finger curling under her chin. Gently, as he ever did, he turned her head a little higher to face him properly, though she could not see his mien.

"I have learnt a great many definitions of heresy over the years of my life. Sitting by the feet of the matron I learnt that it was to reject the teachings of Halone; from the lips of my father, I have heard that it was to believe in anything other than the Twelve, to preach the words of foreign gods in lieu of Halone's truth; from the years of my service as Temple Knight, it was stated that those who lay with dragons lay with their gods…

"Each definition ever so slightly different, and yet holding true to a very simple tenet. The forsaking of Halone is what constitutes heresy; that is the teaching of the Church. However, I have come to realise that truthfully, I know naught of what truly is heresy."

Aymeric let out a sigh, and she felt his forehead touch hers, his hand releasing her chin. She dared to lean in, to press her lips to his chin, attempting to give him comfort as he so seemed to seek.

"I have ever been faithful to Halone, and yet, here I stand as a man turned into a dragon. Am I a heretic? By the very teachings of the Church, I am not. However, by the declarations of Ishgard, I am," he murmured.

He paused again, and his voice now dropped into a whisper full of an unknown dread.

"I… fear to say this, but I cannot help but feel as if there is a grievous…  _ misunderstanding _ in the teachings of the Holy See. How did Haurchefant and I change? We both were-- _ are _ \--devout to Halone alone. In addition, how is it that heretics are committed to the form of dragons? Are dragons truly the antithesis of the Twelve?"

He trembled against her, raw from the reveal of his most intimate fears, his most deep thoughts.

Ryuuna reached up to drag her fingers through his hair, caressing the base of one of his long and great horns. He flinched at her touch, but did not pull her fingers away as he had once before.

"Shall we search for the truth of the matter?" She asked when she felt his hands rest upon her forearms and stroke at the skin of her wrists.

Aymeric physically startled at her words. "Ryuuna?"

"As much as I would prefer to stay here evermore, I would much prefer the soothing of your heart. Ishgard is a sore that will not heal in your soul 'til we confront it." She smiled, and she kissed him gently.

His lips were parted beneath hers, and she kissed him again, until he reciprocated her gentle affection. There was a soft rumbling in his chest, and she leaned in further to press herself up to him, to feel that thrum reverberate into her own chest.

When she wound her arms around his neck, his wings shifted behind him, and she could feel the thick membrane rub against her skin.

"I would have you as happy as I am, but that shall not happen until we have put to rest the injustice that you and all of your peoples have faced," she continued quietly, pulling away from his lips just enough that she could speak unhindered. "You deserve peace of mind too, my dearest of friends."

Aymeric was silent though she could hear his slow, shaky inhale.

"Let us speak with Haurchefant first," he said finally. "And… should he agree, then mayhap--we may begin to take our first steps to discovering the truth behind our transformations."

"Of course. I shall ever be by your sides, no matter what is chosen."

  
  


Haurchefant's return was heralded by the familiar scrape of claws against stone and his irrepressible humming, tuneless but proud regardless.

"--Fortune, it seems, has favoured me," he announced loudly, a grin evident in his voice. "For I have found an abandoned caravan, the wreckage old enough that the leathers upon it had deteriorated, and yet its bounty as new as the day it was made!"

Ryuuna could see not what was in his hands, but she heard the heavy thump of wood upon stone, and she wondered if it were a chest of some kind. Mayhap it was a box. Regardless, it was likely full of the so-called bounty that Haurchefant announced.

"They are clothes," Aymeric murmured softly into her ear. "Though I cannot quite tell what kind they are."

"Silks and furs! No doubt they were intended on some fortunate lady to wear--but they have instead found their way here, to be worn by the most fair maiden of them all." Haurchefant's declaration was proud, and she could feel herself flush at such an ardent and bold statement.

"Will they fit?" She wondered aloud, rather than draw attention to her fluster. "These were surely made for elezen, after all…"

"You'll have to try them on; if they don't, then it shall be a simple enough matter to have them tailored. Mayhap." Aymeric sounded rather embarrassed at his slip up, having momentarily forgotten their circumstance.

"Well? Come on over! I want to see you in these!"

Haurchefant's joy was rather infectious, and Ryuuna carefully rose to her feet to join him.

Aymeric rose with her, and with his hand upon her back, he guided her towards the other man.

Ryuuna was swiftly pulled into Haurchefant's arms, and she laughed as his lips were pressed to her crown with an exaggerated sound of a kiss.

"Welcome back," she murmured, looking up towards his direction. She was promptly kissed again, and she stifled not her joyous laughter when his lips continued to attack her, his hands tugging down the neck of her coat to bite playfully at her throat. Her laughter faded into a soft moan, and she clutched at his shoulders.

"I am back to be welcomed," Haurchefant cooed. "But am I welcomed to pursue this?"

Ryuuna had not a single thought to say otherwise. "You are indeed," she agreed, and she smiled when his fingers continued to move down the length of her coat, undoing its knots and pulling it off of her.

She aided him as best as she could, rolling her shoulders back as he pulled the coat off. She shook her hands free from the sleeves, and quickly latched back onto Haurchefant to stave off the cold.

His hands continued to pull her clothes from her, gentle but swift. She smiled when his hands lingered upon her breasts as he pulled her tunic over her head, and she had laughed when they settled upon her hips, not moving for quite some time as he apparently studied the mechanisms of her trousers.

"You are gorgeous," he murmured softly, breathlessly.

His blatant regard, as ever, was as flattering as it was arousing. "And you are far too lovely," she replied softly.

When she stood in solely her smallclothes, Haurchefant scooped her up into his arms, much to her surprise. She yelped, clutching onto his shoulders out of her momentary fear and soon found that she was tucked against his torso, straddling his chest with his large hand able to hold up her entire weight.

Haurchefant was chuckling beneath her, and she felt him nuzzle the side of her countenance, kissing her cheek.

"Well, I  _ had _ intended on dressing you up again," he began. "But now that I have you like this… Well, Aymeric? What say you?"

There was a brief silence, before Aymeric was heard approaching.

"Are you not sore?" He asked her.

Ryuuna paused, considering his question with the care that it was due. He would not accept her answer to be anything less than truthful, as she had discovered one night a moon ago.

"I am, but it does not bother me. Rather like an ache of a well-worked muscle, pleasant and subtle," she added, smiling. "I would be pleased to have you both again."

  
  


Ryuuna had learnt much about her lovers in this time. For all their obvious similarities in form, they were most decidedly different in the way in which they approached her.

Haurchefant encouraged her to touch him, loved to have her fingers in his hair, to have her caress his wings and to praise him as effusively as he praised her. He delighted in overwhelming her with love, to have her partake in him with as much fervour as he had for her. He was shameless in his desires, unambiguous in that which he liked.

Aymeric, on the other hand, preferred to have her hands still. He wanted her not to draw attention to his form, and to instead allow him to draw out her pleasure with his lips alone. He was gentle when he allowed her to take him, to the point that she would often have to take the lead to draw them to a satisfactory end. He still feared being touched, she thought, still hated his own form.

Most importantly, she had learnt this: when incited, Aymeric was diligent and thorough to the point of being unreasonable.

She let out another broken cry, unable to escape the hold of his large hands on her hips as he continued to press his mouth to her folds even as she reached her peak.

He had promised that he would not leave her unsatisfied; he, however, seemed determined to leave her  _ too _ satisfied.

He touched her through her shuddering, dragging out the levinstorm of her pleasure with his tongue and lips and leaving her a breathless ruin.

No matter how hard she writhed, bucked or pulled, his grip kept her fixed in place where he could taste her.

It was all too much.

He sucked at her clitoris, ran his tongue through her slick folds, and buried his countenance between her legs with a fervour with which she could not physically keep up. She could scarcely believe that he had once been so bashful as to hesitate to touch her hand.

Her loins were set aflame by his constant tonguing, the slight hint of his teeth against her skin, and she could not stop her tears from how painfully overstimulated she felt.

"Aymeric…  _ Spirits _ , Aymeric--!"

She trembled from head to toe, unable to form words fast enough before her breath was stolen by his tongue.

"Stop," she rasped out, tugging weakly at his wrist.

All at once, he stopped touching her. She fell back against the fur rolls, entirely limp and drained of her energy. She panted heavily, her head spinning from the onslaught of endless pleasure to which she had been subject.

Her limbs were gelatinous, and she could barely feel anything below her hips.

"Ryuuna?" came his voice, concerned and horrified. "Did I hurt you?"

She swallowed heavily, but her throat was too dry and hoarse to form sentences. She raised a hand, pointing a finger up to beg for a moment of time.

"I daresay you've done it, Aymeric. You have broken her before we even got started," Haurchefant remarked from the side, and he laughed mirthfully.

"I--? Don't say that," Aymeric hissed in response, sounding all the more worried. "Ryuuna, please tell me--are you okay?"

She nodded, and sent him what should have been a reassuring smile with the little energy she had left in her body.

"I just... need a moment," she panted out.

Ryuuna heard Haurchefant approach, and she turned her head to press her countenance against the side of his thigh. She sighed when his fingers slid through her hair, the claws pressing delightfully against her heated skin.

To her other side, Aymeric too came. He lay himself beside her and took hold of her hand. He kissed her palm gently, apologetically, and rubbed her knuckles with his thumb.

Gently framed by her lovers, she was all at once blissful.

She pressed herself more firmly to Haurchefant, and she heard him chuckle in delight. Aymeric's thumb continued to stroke along her hand.

"You have a tongue that is far too untamed," she said finally, when she had cooled down and lethargy had set into her tired body. She squeezed his hand, and smiled. "We shall have to work on it further at some other time, and unmake its wildness."

Aymeric let out a stuttered laugh, caught by surprise by her words. "I--I suppose we shall," he agreed hesitantly. He was quiet for a moment, before asking once more, "You are certain that I did not hurt you?"

"If one can be hurt by too much pleasure, then yes, you did harm me indeed," she replied with a smile. "I shan't feel my legs for quite some time."

Aymeric let out a muted sound of consternation.

"What a compliment to give our dearest Aymeric," Haurchefant mused aloud. "And what comment will you make of me, my love?" He shifted, moving to lay down beside Ryuuna. The length of his tall, muscular body pressed against her back, and she was made all too aware that he was yet hard.

She doubted her ability to be able to withstand any more stimulation between her legs, but she could yet satisfy Haurchefant.

She reached back towards him.

She closed her hands, weak though her grip surely was, around his cock. Even with both hands, she could not touch fingertips at his base. His soft moans were saccharine to her horns, and she was encouraged to drag her hands up his length. He was dripping that thick, viscous fluid that made him so slick whenever he entered her, and she dipped her fingers through it, coating them with his pre.

"Patient, and far too sweet," Ryuuna said finally, smiling. "I won't be of much use other than this, I'm afraid."

"It is of no matter." Haurchefant's hand came around hers, and she felt him tighten his grip. Then, he slid his--her--hand down his cock. "I treasure anything that you would give me."

He sighed as she squeezed her hands around him, and he thrust his hips forth, that enormous girth brushing against her waist.

In the darkness of their home, she touched him with his assistance until he came. His cock pulsed beneath her hands, spilling threads of his seed over her fingers and arms and hair.

She felt unseen fingers rub her clean, heard the rasp of a tongue against scales, and finally Haurchefant curled against her, kissing the curve of her horns, and sighed contentedly into her crown.

Aymeric remained quiet, pressed to her side. His arms went around her waist, and he gently kissed her shoulder.

  
  


Ryuuna surely had fallen asleep, for when she next opened her eyes, she was alone upon the fur roll with multiple covers laid atop of her yet nude form.

Sitting up, she saw that a fire had been set up at the mouth of the cave, bringing additional warmth to the cavern as well as light by which to see, a brightness to which she was now unused.

She pushed the blankets off of herself and dressed herself once more in her clothes. Hesitantly, she also pulled on her boots, and she made her slow way out of the cave.

She found that it was late evening when she ventured out. Or perhaps it was early morning? She could not tell, for the sky was dappled violet and red as if the sun was either rising or falling.

Then looking towards the pool of icemelt where they retrieved their water, she saw that it was devoid of either men. It was most possible that they had gone out hunting or to stretch their wings as they could not within the cave; she would not think of it any further unless they did not return by the time morning came.

She returned back to the cave after she had drunk a few mouthfuls of water and sat upon one of the plusher rugs they had covering the stone floor.

Casting her gaze around their cave, she noted that the box of clothes that Haurchefant had brought had been placed next to the chest in which they kept their weapons.

She moved towards the box rather than choose to read through the scant few books and scrolls they had laying around, and she dug through it curiously. As promised, silks and furs were found within, as well as a great number of pieces in delicate lace that she marvelled at.

She entertained herself with draping the overly-large silk dresses over her form, laughing at how they fluttered around as she spun. Kicking her leg up despite the lingering ache between her thighs, she watched how the skirt flew up with her leg and fell back down far more gracefully. It reminded her of the loose fabrics of her outfits in Kugane, the transcendent beauty she had had to pose as with her gilded makeup and robes.

She allowed herself a moment of nostalgia, falling into the steps of her more favoured routines, spinning through the cavernous expanse of their home with a breathless joy.

Though without her chakrams, she thrust her arms out as if she yet held them, miming the action of throwing them high into the air and catching them, and she leapt lightly from toe to toe, laughing as she dropped the dress from her arms.

She had lost her former flexibility and strength; she could not jump quite as high, nor arch her back quite as much--but she did not try all too hard with the soreness still present in her body.

Ryuuna had not danced in what felt like aeons; the exertion left her winded, and her abdomen in cramps. She spun upon her heel, her head turned up to the ceiling of the cave, and she let herself come to a stop. Flushed and aching, she then fell to the floor, catching her breath.

She turned to look at the silk dress that lay on the floor that had so inspired her that moment.

Ryuuna reached out to take hold of the dress, folding it carefully.

She had missed this, she realised belatedly. For all that her blades had been a cause of her former misery, she had missed the rush of dance, missed being in tune with the music in her head. She has danced long before she ever had been the Warrior of Light, and she wished to return to it, that simple joy that she once had in song and art.

She placed the dress back into its box, and turned to the chest beside it.

She could yet dance without her chakrams, and yet her mind came back to them, time and time again. She reached out to unlatch the lid of the chest.

When opened, she found parts of blue armour scattered within, a beautifully forged sword in its golden scabbard, a far more familiar greatsword with a unicorn engraved in its pommel accompanied by a shield with that same unicorn emblazoned upon its surface--and finally, twin discs of metal, edged with sharp crystal-like detail.

She pulled them out of the chest and lay them upon the fur before her, looking down upon them quietly.

The first time she had armed herself with these, her brother had smiled joyously at her, clapping as she had twirled to show them off for him. The last time she had armed herself with these, she had lost the Scions to the treachery of Alphinaud's Crystal Braves.

It was strange to look down upon the worn and dulled metal and recall how she had once looked upon Ryuhei's gift with overwhelming revulsion.

He had been so proud of them when he had presented them to her. Ryuhei had not spoken a word of the sheer amount of koban he had had to save in Kugane to have been able to afford such masterfully crafted chakrams, and she had cherished them ever since until his departure.

They truly were far too beautiful to have shed so much blood and caused such misery.

She reached forth and took hold of her chakrams and hefted their now unfamiliar weight.

Mayhap it was time that she cherished them once more.

  
  


The two men returned some unknown time later; she could only estimate that it was no longer than four bells, for the fire had died down to cooling embers and the cave was now far too dim for her to see.

She had grown hungry in that time, and had made for herself a small meal out of the remaining foods that they had kept from when she had last visited Tailfeather; she had not known when they would arrive, and had not thought it necessary to make them their own portions.

Aymeric spoke quietly to Haurchefant as they walked through the entrance to join her, but his voice was far too soft for her to discern his words. However, he then raised his voice.

"Mine apologies for leaving without a word. I wished to talk with Haurchefant, and we lost track of time."

She shook her head, smiling. "Worry not. I am not a leash to keep you tied to our home." She rose to her feet, cautiously walking towards them. "I am glad that you have both returned."

When she reached out, she felt both of them take hold of her; Aymeric had her hand, and Haurchefant wound his arm around her waist.

"Might I ask what you spoke upon?" She then questioned.

Aymeric's fingers squeezed around hers tightly. "It was upon the matter we had spoken upon previously, Ryuuna. About Ishgard… about the heretics, and our current forms."

"And I full-heartedly agree!" Haurchefant exclaimed. "We  _ must needs _ uncover the truth behind the nature of heresy and the connection 'twixt Ishgard and her eternal enemy. How could a mere bout between dragon and man lead to our change? Why had we not changed any sooner?"

Aymeric hummed in agreement. "All questions for which we must find the answers. Mayhap we shall begin to find them in the heretics themselves."

Ryuuna leaned upon Haurchefant's chest, resting her cheek upon the warmth of his scales. She felt how his other hand moved to stroke her hair, and she closed her eyes.

"Then we shall go and find them," she murmured, "but we know not how readily they would meet us. It would not be remiss to be armed when we go."

"Is that why you have your chakrams?" Haurchefant asked quietly. "You will come with us?"

"To the first question, nay, but I will wield them if I must though it brings me no joy." She opened her eyes once more and raised her head. "And to the second… where you go, so shall I. I will not allow you to leave me behind."

Aymeric's hand drifted up from hers, and she felt his fingers gently touch her countenance. His claws, gentle despite their sharpness, prickled her skin.

"It brings me much comfort that you would join us. For all the pain that the title brought you, the support of the one who was once the Warrior of Light is no little thing."

It was no wonder that her heart swelled up at his words, at his gentle affirmation of who she now was. She kissed his fingers, allowed him not to flinch back from her affection.

She wondered if he smiled back at her in the dark.

"When shall we go?" Ryuuna asked.

"As soon as we can," was Haurchefant's firm response. "Unless you have any objections?"

Neither Ryuuna nor Aymeric protested his decision, and they had hence moved to prepare to leave.

Ryuuna had forgotten what it was like to ready herself for a journey. Her adventurer's pack, light yet somehow containing everything she needed from camping essentials to gil to food, had been set by the cave's mouth.

The fire had been stoked back into a roaring flame to allow her to see as she helped the men store away their belongings for their indefinite absence from their home.

It was almost bittersweet, she felt, seeing Aymeric roll the furs and rugs up and place them upon the chest where their cushions and books had also been packed within.

What remained of the perishable foods had been shared between the men, and with everything else packed away, there was naught left to show for their domesticity save for the boxes and chests that occupied the lonely reaches of the cave.

She looked back at their cave, and she wondered when would be the next time they would return.

She turned away when Aymeric gently took her by the hand, guiding her out.

The cave was sealed off under a cover of snow and a glamour prism that Ryuuna had had in hand, and with that final act they had left Whitebrim behind.

They then walked through the snow and over the ice-covered rivers of the highlands, Haurchefant ever leading their way and both Aymeric and Ryuuna following after. He led them north rather than east, and when asked about the certainty of his directions, he had remarked upon a curious sight he had once seen while on his flights:

A plume of purple smoke in the Western Highlands, something that was surely intentional.

The Ishgardians relied more upon the use of beacons and coded flags for their signals, explained Haurchefant to an inquisitive Ryuuna, and he suspected that the purple smoke was mayhap attributed to the heretics.

"But how is this purple smoke created?" Ryuuna asked curiously.

Haurchefant's cheer lessened not a whit as he answered, "I have not the faintest idea!"

Aymeric laughed softly, and he reached out to gently touch her arm.

"We may have to rely upon you to gather information from the locals," he murmured. "They may know a little more upon this subject than we, and as we are now, you would be the far more welcomed envoy between us all."

He surely knew not how those words brought to mind Ryuhei's chagrin, and how he had once clasped her shoulders as he announced his reliance upon her diplomacy for she had stolen his share of it in the womb.

The memory of her brother no longer sparked melancholy, and she instead smiled at the thought.

"I am at your disposal," she replied softly and he had gained their fingers together to squeeze her hand gently.

  
  


The method they had chosen to traverse the highlands had ultimately been flight, though Aymeric had expressed his worries upon this beforehand. While flight did indeed give them the advantage of speed, the Highlands were far too close to Ishgard and her archers, making such a trip potentially perilous.

Haurchefant, however, had pointed out the storm that steadily grew above them, blotting out the sun and turning the skies a murky grey, and had eventually convinced Aymeric that they would be well hidden that day.

And so, Ryuuna had been scooped up into Haurchefant's arms, allowing the two men to fly their way around Ishgard and into the Western Highlands, careful to avoid the sharp gazes of their lookouts by using the cover of the approaching night and growing clouds above.

Upon clearing the vicinity of that ancient city, they had landed once more due to her constitution, which had progressively gotten worse the longer they remained in the skies.

The Western Highlands of Coerthas were far colder than the Central Highlands due to the storm, and she had eventually succumbed to the chill. The wind picked up with the setting sun, sending snow and ice in waves at them. Though dressed warmly, she was still far too susceptible.

Thus she had remained bundled up within Haurchefant's arms, and she had spent most of their time there pressed to his chest and desperately attempting to stay warm.

Their first night away from their home had been spent out in the open, in a rocky flat somewhat shielded from the wind and snow by trees and a small hill. There, they had found that the tent she had brought was far too small for either men to fit within, and when she had entered it alone, she had been far too cold without either of them to warm her despite her fur roll and blankets.

Eventually, Haurchefant had pulled her from the tent to his chest, had tugged Aymeric equally as close, and spread his wings around them both.

It was still startling to recall how instantly the howling of the wind had stopped, the insidious chill of the storm halted by this sole act.

The slate-grey feathers that made up his six wings had radiated an unbelievable amount of warmth, as had both Aymeric's and Haurchefant's scales, and it had been solely then that her shivers finally subsided and a flush return to her cold-pale face.

The darkness cast by the spread wings was not the encompassing blackness of their cave, and she had seen in the pale moonlight the resplendent grin upon Haurchefant's countenance and the conflicted expression that Aymeric had returned. She had seen how hesitantly Aymeric, too, had spread his wings around them, insulating them further from the storm.

Within the cradle of their wings, she had fallen asleep between them, grasping tightly at their hands.

  
  


She awoke the next day wrapped in furs and held within the embrace of a slumbering Aymeric's arms, Haurchefant nowhere in sight.

The skies above were yet clouded over, but no longer did they churn an angry and deep grey, instead displaying a placid white that blotted out the sun. It was yet bitterly cold, but with the lessened wind, she minded it not.

Ryuuna would have been content to stay within the cocoon of her furs had it not been for the gradual pangs within her stomach that bespoke of hunger.

The tight grip of Aymeric's arms prevented her from escaping, and she had had to coax him into waking with her voice and gentle kisses to his chest, the sole part of his body that she could touch with her hands trapped against her sides.

"Mm… Ryuuna?" was his confused, drowsy greeting.

His arms then loosened enough that she could free her arms from the furs, and she reached up to cup his countenance, stroking the black scales with no small amount of affection.

"Good morning, my love," she replied softly.

His smile, sleep-laden and crooked, warmed her greatly. When she continued to shift to sit up, he aided her, propping her up against his chest. He then stooped down so that he could press his lips to her crown. "The storm seems to have passed," he murmured. He lifted his head, looking around. "--Has he not returned yet?"

He could be speaking only of Haurchefant.

"I have only just awoken myself… I would not know," she confessed.

Aymeric hummed. "He apparently left to scout around, but I do not recall exactly when."

She swept her fingers through her hair distractedly, twisting it around her fingers and tucking it under her collar where it would stay out of her countenance. "Well… whilst waiting, we may as well break our fast and start to pack up."

He nodded, and aided her in escaping from the furs, after which he busied himself with kindling a fire. Ryuuna dug into her pack to retrieve various bags and tins that contained the food that would make up their morning meal.

Crackers, dry and hardy, and sweetmeats in the form of candied apples slow cooked in honey and cinnamon, and a few sachets of tea. It was a shame that they had no cream, for it could have resulted in quite the treat for their repast.

She placed the tin of apples by the burning logs to slowly warm up, and a kettle filled with ice directly over the flames.

It was as they settled down to sit by the flames that they heard the beating of wings, and a jubilant voice call out their names.

"I saw wisps of purple smoke again," Haurchefant announced, grinning widely. His hair was most tangled, wild from his flight, but he seemed to care not for the mess upon his head. He sat down by Aymeric, reaching out to take one of the dried crackers he offered, and bit into it thoughtfully. "I think it was farther north, mayhap north-west, in the direction of Twinpools."

Ryuuna knew not to what that referred, and she tilted her head towards Aymeric. He seemed to know the land and nodded.

"It is quite possible they have set up residence near Dragonspit. The warmth of the springs would keep them from freezing even in the coldest storms, even with the risk of knights occasionally travelling there," Aymeric posited, even as he reached for a preserved apple.

"It could be possible. I would have assumed that they might be found near the Ashpool, considering the legends behind it…" Haurchefant added.

He reached over the flames, unbothered by the heat to check on the kettle. He pulled it off of the heat, placing within it the sachets of tea leaves Ryuuna had set nearby, allowing it to steep.

"What legends are they?" She asked, looking over at Haurchefant curiously.

He was quiet for a moment, pondering over his words for a moment. "The Ashpool is a lake at the centre of which floats an island… According to legend, that island had once been a living, breathing dragon, which had been bespelled into eternal slumber by Halone through the prayers of the Holy See, until ash covered its entire form and it was petrified to living stone."

She let out a wondering sound, marvelling at the thought. "It… would not be remiss to go to both of these places, and to see if we can find any remnants of fire." She said finally, though she doubted the viability of such a plan.

It was likely that the flames would be snuffed after whatever message they symbolised was received, and the wood hidden away such that they could not be found.

"Ashpool is closer to us," Aymeric stated. "We should begin there." He had finished his first apple, and he reached out for his second. His nails clattered against the bottom of the tin, and his fingertips could reach not his prize. He paused, staring down at his hand with what looked like horror for that briefest of moments, and withdrew his hand.

He touched not the apples again, instead picking solely at the crackers.

Ryuuna and Haurchefant exchanged a silent glance.

The knight smiled reassuringly at her, waving his fingers at her cheekily ere he speared an apple upon his own claw. He then held it out towards Aymeric.

"Here," Haurchefant remarked quietly.

Ryuuna shuffled closer to Aymeric, leaning against his side even as he hesitantly took hold of that proffered fruit.

"My thanks," Aymeric murmured.

"Pesky things, aren't they? Honey makes them far too slippery." Haurchefant beamed at Aymeric, his pleasure far too evident with the narrowing of his eyes and the flush upon his cheeks.

"Ah--yes. You are correct," Aymeric agreed belatedly. "It is… fortunate, then, that you are so equipped to stop them from slipping away." He held the fruit between his fingertips, and raised it to his lips to take a small bite.

"Indeed I am!" Haurchefant exclaimed, then speared another, this time holding it before Ryuuna. "And another for the fair lady," he cooed, his gentle understanding discarded for extravagant affection within mere moments.

She moved to pluck the sweetmeat from his hand, but he jerked it away ere she could do so. The gleam in his eyes and mischief upon his lips made her laugh.

"Are you intending to feed me by hand?" She asked.

"Well, it would be far more correct to say by claw." Haurchefant grinned.

He held his hand out once more, and this time, he allowed her to steady his hand by grasping his wrist, and he watched with rapture as she took a small bite from the softened and sweetened fruit.

He remained there until she had eaten every part of that speared apple. However, when he moved to reclaim his limb, she continued to hold his wrist in place, and she leaned in to lick the drops of honey that yet clung to his claw, marvelling at the sinister sharpness of the tip when she dragged her tongue along its length.

Haurchefant let out a soft sound of rapture, and he pressed his claw down, laying it flat upon her tongue. She parted her lips willingly, letting him pry her mouth open with the sharp tip of his claw, and she leaned in as he dragged her forth.

"Ryuuna…" Aymeric's voice came unexpectedly.

Ryuuna turned her eyes from the hand she had trapped within her grasp and gazed upon her lover.

He sat there, clad in his umbral scales of black and gold, his six membranous wings folded tightly to his back. He looked back at her with wide blue eyes, the curves of his four great horns curling around his countenance, framing his head with the symbols of longevity and strength. 

"Do you… not find this strange?" He asked, hesitant and soft. "How could you look upon us and still desire our touch?"

She blinked at the question, having not thought of him capable of asking such things so soon. She hesitated, and pulled away from Haurchefant. She reached up to cradle Aymeric's countenance between her hands.

"Mayhap another may shy away from such features, but in mine eyes, there is naught more beautiful than the men that stand before me." Ryuuna stated quietly.

She had thought upon these words since long ago, when she had realised the depth of his great discomfort with himself, and she hoped that her thoughts would reach him.

She stroked the black scales dotting his flesh. "I love him for the steel of his scales, for they bespeak of his strength and his fortune, and the way in which he glows under the light of the sun. I love him for the horns that crown him in majesty, and the wings that carry him through the skies, high above all else upon the earth. He is kind beyond kindness, he is gentle with me, and he cares for me as ardently as I care for him.

"I desire him for who he is and for what he is, not one in spite of the other. I desire all of him, all of  _ you _ . I could want for nothing more, than to be by your side for the rest of mine eternity." She paused, and she stroked his cheek, her thumb tracing the golden skin of his countenance. "Whatever you are on the outside, it is that along with what is within that I care for with all mine ardour."

She felt Haurchefant come up behind her, and she saw how he, too, had reached up to take hold of Aymeric's shoulder.

Looking up, she saw how Haurchefant smiled gently at their companion. Then, for the first time, she saw how he leaned in to kiss Aymeric gently upon his crown.

Aymeric trembled minutely under her hands.

"You are wanted, my friend," Haurchefant whispered. "Set aside your doubts and let not your heart colour how you understand the way in which we see you."

There was a heartbreakingly fragile expression upon Aymeric's countenance, vulnerable as he stared at them with his resplendent eyes full of unspoken fears. He was silent, and he bowed his head.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter than the previous chapter and no smut. I'm sorry. It's all plot here :'( I have failed you,,

They had spent the next while within the comfort of their camp, pressed to Aymeric and offering him what comfort they could give him. Mayhap her words did not reach the deepest parts of his heart, but she hope nevertheless that he would heed her, and that he would find greater comfort in himself.

He spoke not a word, keeping his own council, but they pushed him not to say a thing.

He was still, his head bowed to bring into view the glorious arch of his horns and the sharp spines that ran down the centre of his neck. They spoke not upon the droplets of crystalline fractals that began to drip onto his lap.

Instead, Ryuuna had taken hold of his hands and held him firmly, whispering soft affirmations into his ears whenever it seemed he had become distant in his thoughts.

His arms had eventually wrapped around her, holding her tightly to his chest in a desperate embrace, and he had allowed Haurchefant in turn to hold him close. And thus, they had sat together, intimate in a manner that they had never been ere that day.

When the flames of the campfire flickered low, Aymeric had gently pulled himself away, releasing Ryuuna from his arms and extricating himself from the cradle of Haurchefant's arms and legs.

"--The smoke," he had murmured, voice roughened with unspoken emotion. "We should investigate ere it becomes too late."

Ryuuna had sent him a smile, small and encouraging, and they had readied themselves to leave once more.

  
  


Their passage to Ashpool was silent and devoid of any foreign being, empty of all save for a few beasts that littered the snow, slaughtered by some unknown assailant and summarily skinned.

Upon closer look, they discovered that the furless beasts were ruminants, Haurchefant quietly identified them as yaks, typical prey species to the Highlands. However, none of the meat nor bones had been scavenged, solely its fur, and Ryuuna had wondered at the peculiarity of that.

_ Surely a hunter or poacher would not leave behind such valuable goods? _ She thought. The meat of one of these yaks could have fed a family for no small number of days.

Haurchefant, too, had seemed to wonder at that matter and had lingered over the bodies, peering at the wounds that had taken the lives of the yaks, and he had had a peculiar expression upon his countenance.

"This was done by a lance, expertly so. It is quite possible that this was no ordinary lancer, but a dragoon… I recall not if they often come out this way. Can you?" He had asked Aymeric.

"They patrol where they wish. It would not be a surprise if they had come out this way to pursue their quarry," Aymeric had confirmed quietly.

"But to hunt yak in lieu of dragons?" Haurchefant asked with a brow raised.

"Mayhap they had been attacked by the yak, resulting in them acting in self-defence," Aymeric had rebutted, though had looked doubtful of his own words. "... Nevertheless, we had best hurry and stay wary. I would not wish to encounter one such knight any time soon, if they are still within the area."

Haurchefant had nodded, though continued to look troubled as they moved away.

Since then, they had kept their eyes on the watch for the sight of a dragoon, who would surely take issue to the sight of either of the men.

Ryuuna kept her eyes upon the horizon whilst the men carefully picked through the sleet and snow for their clues. She saw no man approach, and beasts seemed to scurry away at the sight of both Aymeric and Haurchefant.

It seemed that they would remain unknown and safe for that time.

They scoured the terrain for any freshly fallen tracks or charcoal, but other than a few prints in the snow that led in the direction of Dragonspit and a nearby settlement that Ryuuna had caught, the areas around the lake and its ashen island resulted in naught.

It was thus deemed that they could either head towards the heated pools of Dragonspit or the settlement.

Haurchefant had quietly argued that they should head towards Dragonspit on account of the greater number of tracks, suggesting that a party of at least three had headed in that direction. Aymeric preferred pursuing both directions to gather as much information as possible ere they acted.

Ryuuna, for her part, had not much of an opinion otherwise.

Ultimately, they had decided to go separate ways, Haurchefant ceding to Aymeric's quiet reasoning that it was quite possible that those responding to the purple smoke were still out in the open. Ryuuna left with Haurchefant to head towards the settlement, the name of which she now knew was the Convictory, whereas Aymeric pursued the tracks towards Dragonspit alone.

She had worried when Aymeric had staunchly insisted that they leave him, but Haurchefant had taken her by her shoulders and pulled her away, quietly murmuring into her horn to trust that he knew what he was doing.

She could not refute such a quiet request, and she had let Haurchefant lead her away to the settlement nearby.

They walked through the snow, his arm yet laying around her shoulders to ward off the chill.

As they made their way following the tracks, Haurchefant asked her, "Do you know aught of dragoons?"

She was quite certain he meant to take her mind off of Aymeric, whom she felt as if they had abandoned; she would not deny him this act of kindness.

"They are a type of lancer, are they not?" Ryuuna asked in turn, her ignorance of Ishgard rising once more. "I have heard little of them in my time in Eorzea, other than remarks that they were much akin to crows, flocking together to peer down upon the world from great heights."

"Crows? Some would say that is quite apt--though others might claim that lanners would be a better remark." He smiled at her, clearly amused by the description. "Rather, they are… quite quintessentially the face of Ishgard in our war against the dragons. None are more adept at facing them than our dragoons, who take to the skies to descend upon their foe with all the strength that they can muster."

He raised a hand, drawing his finger through the air as if to illustrate the movement of these men. She followed the arching motion of his hand, her eyes wide as he continued to speak.

"From earth to the aether above, they ascend in defiance of our land-bound fate. While lancers fight upon the ground like all other men, dragoons soar above with their powerful jumps. Only the strongest of our knights are capable of becoming a dragoon--and strongest of the dragoons taking the title of the Azure Dragoon."

He was quiet for a moment, turning his eyes to the sky. He dropped his hand, and she followed the motion with her eyes.

"Our Aymeric was once considered in the running to be a dragoon himself, which is quite ironic upon hindsight." Haurchefant allowed himself a moment of laughter, eliciting a smile from Ryuuna at his amusement. "Ah, but alas, he was overlooked in favour of other men who bore not the name he did. If my knowledge is yet accurate, the current Azure Dragoon is a man by the name of Estinien Wyrmblood--a fellow Temple Knight, whom by the account of many, was quite close with Aymeric..."

Ryuuna wondered at that, and she quietly mulled over his words. She could ask upon a great number of things, but she found herself most curious about one subject alone. "Aymeric's name?" She asked. "Is it not Aymeric Borel?"

Haurchefant looked at her. 

"Ah--I forget that you would not know of this. He is now Aymeric _de_ Borel, and the head to the minor house of Borel. However, he was not always the viscount of House Borel. He was once Greystone, much like I am myself, though fortunate enough to be taken in by the late viscount as his heir and son."

Ryuuna frowned at that. She had always been under the impression that Haurchefant bore the name Fortemps. She also knew not the significance of that name--it surely did not denote some form of familial connection, for Aymeric and Haurchefant had not a single physical similarity beyond their race.

"I… must confess, I know not what that means," she said slowly.

Haurchefant shrugged, feigning nonchalance as he airily remarked, "He and I are bastards."

She mulled his words over, having caught the quiet bitterness hidden within his voice. Was he ashamed of his background?

"My brother and I, too, were born out of wedlock," she remarked. "My parents were married only upon their return to Sui-no-Sato, an act that very much scandalised my peoples."

Haurchefant looked down at her in surprise. "Oh?"

Ryuuna glanced up at him, and reached up to squeeze his hand lightly. "My father was a merchant and had traveled from the Ruby Sea to Doma to arrange trade deals between our peoples. This was, of course, prior to the Garlean occupation. It had taken over a year to secure anything favourable, he told me, and he had met my mother and had fallen in love during that time. He returned to Sui-no-Sato laden with spices, a lover, and two exceedingly young children."

Haurchefant laughed at that. "A much better story than mine own! My mother--she… and my father had fallen in love sometime prior to his marriage to the late Countess Fortemps, and their continued ardour had begotten me. T'was quite the scandal, especially as I was not immediately denounced and instead recognised as my father's second son. It was most  _ fortunate _ that I was born after Artoirel, otherwise I doubt that I would have survived to this day."

That he would so imply that Ishgard would be unfavourable to the birth of children, illegitimate or otherwise! She squeezed his hand once more, and turned to kiss his wrist gently.

Ryuuna lingered there, her lips pressed to his grey scales. "I am glad that you are here," she whispered into his wrist.

"As am I. Despite everything, the change into a dragon, the loss of my home… I find that the world is a far more beautiful place than I could have ever imagined, having met you."

Ryuuna surely burned a bright red at his words, and he laughed once more, pulling her tightly to his side.

"Ah, but what else could we talk upon as we walk? Mayhap this--tell me about your parents. I would dearly love to learn more about those who were fortunate enough to have begotten you."

And so she talked as they made their way through the snow, her quietly speaking of her quiet father and proud mother, whose wandering feet had ultimately become their legacy. Haurchefant listened, becoming a rare and rapt witness to the few remaining memories of her parents.

He let her go only when the tops of tents came into view, and gently bid her to head towards the settlement without him.

She heard him stride off, retreating to a safe distance to watch over her as she climbed through the snow to speak with the hunters that there stayed.

Speaking to the reticent Convictors, Ryuuna had been eyed callously by those she had spoken to. She had had the stirring sensation that it was not to do with her appearance and instead with her questions, for the wary glances had only begun when she had asked about the formation of strangely coloured smoke and of heretics.

The hunters generally seemed not to care much for the heretics, focusing instead on the hunting of dragons, and she was rebuffed by all except for one.

"You're remindin' me of that lad that was here just a few bells ago," said an aged elezen by the name of Pierriquet, scratching at his scruff of a beard as he regarded her. "He was askin' me about the heretics too, all gruff and dour as if he'd been bitten on the ass by a gnat. The heretics find easy prey amongst the lowborn, and they're easily swayed by the promise of freedom. A couple of my mates were fooled by them, and ran out into the wilds a few nights ere to join 'em. The lad only seemed to care for the purple smoke I told him about, which, accordin' to my old mates, is the only way to tell the bastards that you're serious about joinin' 'em."

So Aymeric had been correct in believing the smoke to be a signal for the heretics alone.

"Lad?" She then asked, curious as to this fellow that had taken the path that she and her two men were now taking. "Could I ask who this was?"

"I know not his name, but he looked to be a dragoon, one of those highborn sorts with a fancy lance and fancy armour. You know the ones, with the spikes and the helm that covers the entire face. Why, he looked as if he were copying the Azure Dragoon himself! It couldn't be, of course--the man would never be swayed from his Halone-given course…"

"I see," Ryuuna murmured, looking up thoughtfully. "I don't suppose you would know aught about how this purple smoke is made?"

"Nay, nothing so certain--but I have heard a few tales that burnin' the wool of beasts releases a smoke most pungent, and that yak hide above all else is noxious enough t' turn the air a toxic hue," mused Pierriquet, who had turned out to be malms more helpful than the rest of the camp.

Ryuuna smiled. "Thank you--and here. For your assistance." She pushed a few coins into his hands before she left the Convictory, eager to leave the oppressive weight of their stares.

It had become obvious then why they had found skinless yak: the persons searching for the same heretics as they did had done the deed, leaving the rest of the carcasses behind once they had taken that which they had needed.

Ryuuna swiftly made her way down the path leading away from the settlement, and was only rejoined by Haurchefant when she was quite some distance from the hunters, far enough that their tents were no longer visible and their arrows could not reach her.

Rather than approaching her on land, he came in by air:

He landed in the snow to her side, scattering ice and sending cold winds over her with the beating of his wings. She shivered, clutching at her coat in an attempt to fend off the sudden chill.

Haurchefant murmured a soft apology, pulling her to his side once more to allow her to warm up once more.

"--Did you not worry about being seen?" She asked, eyes wide as she looked up at him.

Haurchefant smiled rakishly. "I didn't see any men around for quite some distance, and remained high enough that I would look as if a bird from below. You needn't worry about me--rather… What said the men?" He asked curiously, quietly running his claws through her hair.

If he had remained unnoticed and safe, Ryuuna could not bring herself to find fault in his actions.

"The smoke is a way to call heretics over to plead your case to join them. And… it was suggested that yak fur is that which colours the flames and smoke purple," she divulged. "I suspect that the beasts we found earlier are remnants of one who wished to find heretics just as we did. It was also stated that these people-- _ person _ \--had only just recently passed by. It was implied that a man was asking the same questions as I just a few bells prior. They described him as a dour man in spiked armour, a lance upon his back and his mien covered by his helm."

"Unfortunately, that narrows not the selection of whom this dragoon could be."

Ryuuna let out a hum. "However, we know for certain now that it is a dragoon that shares the flats with us, do we not? But we have yet to discern if they are friend or foe."

Haurchefant sent her a smile. "Indeed you are right."

  
  


As Haurchefant had remarked he had seen not a single man in the Highlands as he flew, and they had both deemed it safe enough to risk flying with her to Dragonspit to reunite with Aymeric. She preferred to swiftly see their third once more, and he had promptly swept her into his arms and taken flight once more.

She then learnt why that place had been named as such when she regarded the vast pools of heated water, and the way in which the ground near the pools were heated enough that no snow could be found.

They found Aymeric standing by one such pool, staring down into the pigmented water. He had dipped his feet into the warm waters, submerging himself to his ankle, but no higher.

"--Did your search burgeon aught?" Haurchefant asked when they had come close enough to Aymeric that he stirred, turning to face them proper.

"The tracks head farther north-west. I followed them to the cusp of the Dravanian Forelands, but with the lack of snow, I could tell not their true direction. I could also discern not if they were traders or heretics," Aymeric said quietly. "Knights, citizens and heretics alike visit these pools for the succor they offer, after all, and merchants often cross this way."

Haurchefant nodded, and he gently nudged Ryuuna forth.

She took it as her cue to speak of her own findings. "--There was a soldier at the Convictory who divulged enough for us to begin our search anew." She repeated her words spoken to Haurchefant earlier, and by the end of it, Aymeric's countenance had brightened with the knowledge of a new lead that they could follow.

"I suppose we should do as the dragoon did, and secure for ourselves yak hide," Aymeric remarked. "We shall see if this soldier's information proves true and summons for us the heretics."

And so, they had ventured back into the Highlands to hunt down yak, Ryuuna taking the burden of freeing the fur from the carcass when Haurchefant's claws shredded the skin into tatters and Aymeric seemed too faint to even try to attempt it.

She wiped her hands clean in the snow, and they then left towards the Ashpool once more where they set up a large bonfire and placed the fur into the flames.

It took a few seconds, but the air swiftly filled with a noxious smoke, a violent purple that could be seen clearly against the white of the snow.

They stood upwind of the flames, waiting for any sign of a response, whether it would come from the direction of the Convictory or otherwise--

And soon, the purple smoke had brought to them the face of an unknown man, who regarded both Aymeric and Haurchefant with a curious gaze and not a hint of aggression.

He was garbed warmly in leathers and scales, and carried not a single carving that showed devotion to Halone as Ishgardians typically did regardless of their piety

It seemed they had found themselves their heretic.

  
  


The heretic was a young man who seemed familiar with dragons, for he flinched not at the sight of Haurchefant flexing his wings. Rather, he seemed most impressed by their forms, and he watched them with no small amount of interest.

"Most of us who have taken dragon's blood turn into full aevis or dragons," said the man, "but I have yet encountered any who have turned into ones like you have. I take it you intend on joining us?"

Ryuuna could see the surprise upon Haurchefant's face at the remark, and he sent Aymeric a searching glance.

Aymeric seemed disinclined to express their former ignorance as to the cause of their change, instead shaking his head.

"Nay--we merely wished to talk to the leader of your people, Lady Iceheart," said he in a soft voice. "We had questions that we had hoped she could answer."

Ryuuna had never heard of this Iceheart before, and she shuffled towards Haurchefant, gently touching his hand in a silent request for information.

He shook his head however, intently watching Aymeric as he spoke with the heretic.

The heretic frowned, looking rather apologetic. "Unfortunately, she has left us on a quest of her own, divulging none of the details to us beyond her extended leave of absence. If you wished to talk to her, you could join us in our encampment until she returns from her journey."

Aymeric, too, frowned. "Is there truly nothing you could tell us of her whereabouts? We have not the time to spend waiting."

The man was silent for a moment, contemplative as he regarded the three of them before him.

Ryuuna was unsure if she should pull away from Haurchefant, who had taken hold of her hand, as she could not possibly discern what his thoughts could be at that moment.

"This… is nothing official, but by the account of one of our scouts, she was seen heading north in the company of two souls." The heretic finally said, sighing as he placed his hands to his hips. "One a young boy with a lass' countenance and hair as white as the snow, and the other the  _ Azure Dragoon _ himself! I know not what she means to do in such company--but if you wished to find her, head north. You may be able to catch up to her and her company."

It was then that Aymeric smiled. "You have my thanks."

The heretic shrugged, smiling rather helplessly in return. "May fate favour you in your endeavours. I know not why you wish to question our lady, but I hope you receive the answers that you seek."

Then, the heretic turned to leave, sending them one last glance over his shoulder.

Ryuuna was silent as Haurchefant took hold of her arm to gently guide her away as Aymeric led their way north once more. She was lost in her thoughts, mulling over the heretic's words.

A young elezen boy, white haired and easily mistaken for a girl due to the softness of his countenance, and accompanied by a dragoon--the Azure Dragoon himself--and silver-tongued enough to convince the leader of the heretics to leave with him… There could be no mistaking to whom this was referring.

"That boy… What is he doing?" She wondered aloud.

She had left Camp Dragonhead in the peak of her misery, errantly guided by a need to ensure Alphinaud's safety by forsaking her own life. That he would now be found traversing Coerthas alone had her wonder what had happened in her absence, and what plan he had in mind to so involve himself in the Ishgard's matters upon heretics.

"You know the boy that was spoken of?" Aymeric asked.

"Aye. It could only be Alphinaud--a… fellow Scion, and one of the few to survive the purge following Ul'dah. I know naught if anyone other than he and Cid have survived," she said softly. "I believed him to be under the protection of the Fortemps. I know not why he would be found out here."

Haurchefant let out a sound of recognition. "The boy dressed poorly for the cold in his blue robes. I remember him; he was quite the diplomat for all his young age. Not unlike our Aymeric," he added with a little grin.

Ryuuna laughed when she saw the hint of red upon Aymeric's countenance for all that it was turned away from them.

"--Regardless of diplomacy and boys, I suspect they would now be found in Dravania," Aymeric stated firmly. "Those tracks I found had to belong to them. I doubt not that they had been heading in the direction of Tailfeather, and mayhap even beyond that, into the territory of the dragons themselves... Though I couldn't possibly guess why Estinien is allowing himself to be led there with no other dragoons and with Lady Iceheart herself by their side. It could not be a hunt. It must be something else that they planned to do."

They were quiet for some time, each considering their own thoughts.

"... Who is this Lady Iceheart?" Ryuuna asked. "And why did you ask to talk to her?"

Aymeric looked back to her, and she reached out a hand. He took it, her small fingers curling around his longer ones, and she held him tightly.

"Lady Iceheart is the leader of the heretics, with hair as white as the snow that hides her, and she leads them in their worship of their saint, Shiva. She is so named Iceheart for her cruelty, though with the obvious devotion shown by her men, I had always doubted such claims. I believe she may know far more about our condition than we, and that she may shed light upon our war against dragons as she is doubtlessly privy to the knowledge of our enemy."

He was silent again, and looked away.

"I will confess that I have always wished to talk to her, to learn more of why she would lead the heretics against her own people. It has always left a sour taste in my mouth that we would so persecute against the people that used to live within our walls without knowing  _ why _ they had so left us." He then laughed without humour, shaking his head. "But to ask for such reasons is to welcome heresy, and so I was left unable to ask for such reasons. Until now."

Each explanation only birthed more questions within Ryuuna, who lacked any knowledge whatsoever on the matters raised by Aymeric. Ryuuna, rather apologetically, asked, "And who is Shiva?"

This time, Haurchefant spoke.

"As we worship and toil in the name of the Twelve, heretics instead lay their faith in dragons. Shiva is the name of one of their saints, who was the first to betray the Twelve by… laying with dragons, not merely in the metaphorical sense," he quietly. "I am certainly most curious to learn as to how the heretics describe her."

Mayhap they would learn it once they had found Iceheart.

  
  


Snow gradually gave way to dirt, and dirt to grass, and it became clear that they had left the Coerthan Highlands behind for Dravania.

The air was far warmer here, though the wind could yet inspire the chill of winter, and Ryuuna soon found that she had to shed the thick coat she favoured in the Highlands.

She recognised the forests that they walked through as the ones she would navigate through during her rare trips to Tailfeather to trade for their goods, and she occasionally looked up to see the sky through the canopy.

Day was beginning to turn to night, and Ryuuna was beginning to feel the exhaustion of constant travelling creep up on her.

It had truly been far too long since she had last journeyed so much--her body was now unused to the rigours of adventuring.

They skirted around the trading post, settling down instead in a small glade that was far from the main road taken by travellers.

Mayhap the next day, she would venture into Tailfeather and meet up with the scant few traders that she now knew by sight and by name, and ask if they had seen Alphinaud. That moment, however, she was rather unwilling to walk much farther.

As they set up a small campfire and prepared their dinner, Haurchefant seemed rather thoughtful.

"So it is the taking of dragon's blood that caused the change. In the heat of battle, I can recall not if I had indeed swallowed their blood--but it is far too likely that I may have ingested a small portion of it by accident," Haurchefant remarked, clearly having mulled this matter over throughout their long journey from the Highlands. "And the man implied that most others were fully transformed, rather than half-changed as we.

"Could it have been the amount of blood ingested that caused this? I would assume heretics are given a much larger quantity of blood to take, whereas I most likely took only a few drops at most."

"We cannot theorise such things without knowing the properties of dragon blood… But such a suggestion sounds as if it should be true," Aymeric replied.

"Would the change affect anyone?" Ryuuna asked quietly. "If… for example, I took dragon's blood, would I also change?"

Both men looked towards her, one in alarm and the other with far more curiosity in his gaze.

"Why would you ask that?" Aymeric demanded, eyes blazing with a sudden worry.

Ryuuna flushed, and she shook her head. "I meant it not to alarm you! I, I understand that that implies I would try it, but… What I meant to ask is whether or not there is a transformative property inherent within the blood."

"I would assume so," Haurchefant remarked, when Aymeric shook his head and looked away from her. "And it seems that the heretics are full aware of this property."

"We know not for certain until we have questioned Iceheart. Let us hope we catch up to her in the morrow," Aymeric said finally, sounding as if he were most exhausted by this line of thought.

An apology fluttered within Ryuuna's mouth, but she stayed silent, moving forth to take hold of Aymeric's hand. He squeezed her fingers and allowed her to come in closer, close enough to rest her countenance against his arm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy midautumn everyone!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The tag "porn with plot" is more like "plot with far too little porn".

Morning came, and with it, the piercing light of the waking sun. She found herself coming to wakefulness tucked against Aymeric's side, with the touch of a sly hand upon her thigh drifting ever higher.

For all its mischief, it was a cautious touch, one to both wake her and to quietly test her mood.

She quietly turned her head to face Haurchefant, and she saw him smile, his eyes gleaming wickedly as he raised his other hand to his lips. His lifted index finger requested her to remain silent, and she nodded once after a brief moment's hesitation. Haurchefant's lips parted into a grin; she could feel a flush bloom across her countenance at the wicked intent in his eye.

His hand was removed from her thigh, and he gestured for her to rise with him from the tangle of fur rolls upon the grass.

Any thought of reluctance or responsibility had fled in the face of his reckless seduction.

Mayhap this was not the best of times to do such things, but Ryuuna was as ever unable to resist when Haurchefant pulled her forth with him from the grove that they had claimed as their own for the night.

Just as she could stop not the beating of her own heart, she was unable to stop her giddy and reckless grin as she allowed Haurchefant to pull her into his arms, to press her back against the rough bark of a tree and drag his fingertips along her cheek.

It was very much day despite the early hour, and despite the canopy above, there was light enough that Haurchefant's opalescent scales glowed and he was a sight at which to marvel.

Anyone who was awake enough to look through the woods would surely see his scintillating form, and she felt the thrill of potential discovery run through her.

He loomed over her, bent near in half in order to bring his countenance to hers. His wings had spread, cocooning her against that tree, and she was utterly encapsulated by him.

His lips sealing over hers stifled her sudden laughter and her subsequent surprise when his hands moved to pull at her breeches, pushing them just low enough to expose her groin.

"Would that I had not the nails that I do," he whispered against her lips, even as he brought his great hand between her thighs and pressed his fingers against her folds. His claws brushed against her most sensitive flesh, the sharpness of the tips sending an indescribably thrilling spark up her spine. "I would have loved to touch you from within until you peaked, kissing you all the while to silence you."

"You could still touch me from within," she replied. "If I turn around--I could take you."

"But I could not see your face," Haurchefant replied, pressing the flesh of his palm flat against her core. "Shall I deny myself such a gorgeous sight?"

She let out a soft gasp when he ground his hand against her, the smooth scales of his wrist rubbing far too sinuously against her pearl.

He seemed to delight in stealing her words, his lips parting into a mischievous grin that grew the longer she struggled to reply.

"I… could also undress, it is no hardship to me," she murmured. "Or--"

"We could continue like this, and we could see if I could bring you to completion with my palm alone," Haurchefant interrupted. "You are so delightfully wet, my love," he added, sounding almost breathless as his fingers slid through her folds once more, spreading her slick fluids over his hand.

She trembled before him, staring up at him with an overwhelming desire to hold him tight.

He looked down at her with a most gentle expression upon his countenance, and he kissed her upon her mien. "Look at me not with those eyes. Your gaze alone could undo me!"

"Then please, become undone for me," she whispered.

Haurchefant gazed upon her for a moment longer. She could see how his eyes flickered southward, lingering upon her lips, before returning to her eyes.

"My most wonderful lady," he called, the words almost a moan as he leaned in, bringing his lips to her horn. How his voice reverberated into her skull, settling in the base of her spine! "My beautiful love… I am unravelled at the seams by your command alone."

"I want you," she murmured softly.

"Of course, my dear," was his fervent groan.

She tugged at the cords of her breeches, loosening them enough that she could push them down farther. Haurchefant was swift to aid her, his hands lingering upon her legs when helping her step out of her trousers.

He moved his hands to her waist, lifting her higher up to the point that she could hook her knees around his hips. She did so, unable to stop her reckless smile as he kissed a meandering path down her neck.

He hooked a claw into the collar of her coat, pulling it low enough that he could bring his mouth to her throat. She reached down below her thighs, pressing her palm to his groin.

She could feel how the scales there parted beneath her touch, the tip of his cock emerging from its sheath.

"--Let me see you," she requested, suddenly all too aware that she had never beheld his form with her eyes, only having known him in the dark. "I… would like to see you. If you would be amenable to it."

Haurchefant's breath hitched, and he drew back enough to look her in the eye with consternation evident upon his countenance. "Are you certain you would wish to?" He asked.

Was he so worried that she would balk upon seeing whatever alien sight awaited her?

"Will you deny me such a gorgeous sight?" She asked, hearkening back to his earlier words. She smiled, caressing his cheek. She rubbed her thumb along the pearlescent scales there, and she kissed him gently upon his chin. "I am not scared."

And so, he carefully set her down upon her feet and allowed her to gaze upon him.

She had had many a conjured image in mind when it concerned her lover's body.

She had known him many times over, knew the tapering shape of his cock and the hardened ridges upon its underside, its great heft and the many curious bumps that snaked up the side of his length. She had never quite realised how that would translate to her eyes.

Ryuuna stood before him, her countenance near eye-level with his groin due to his greater height. She reached out and traced the edges of his sheath, hesitant to hook her finger into it to pull it back. Nevertheless, her gentle touch caused him to stir further, revealing how he… quite literally  _ unfurled _ under her touch.

Yet to be aroused, his cock was initially pliable to the touch, rolled up to fit within whatever pocket his body had for it. He was wrinkled, its skin folded over numerous times as if it had more skin upon it than flesh. He was a curious shade of red, almost garishly so against his softly coloured skin, and the bumps that lined him were in fact translucent scales that were filled with capillaries.

As she touched him, he hardened and swelled, those scales rounding out into those bumps that she knew by touch. The soft curl of his member filled into a slick and tapered shape, its girth widening multiple times its original size; the red flesh was now taut. Beneath upon the southern face of his cock, those unknown ridges were identified as yet another form of scale, patterned and regular and softer than the rest of the scales that covered his body.

He was, indeed, as large as she had expected. It was far more imposing now that she could see him, and she could hardly believe that she had taken him with such curious ease. Had she been able to see him that first time, mayhap she would have never dared to take him.

She looked up at him, and saw how he gazed down at her in wonder.

"Are you yet brave?" He asked her quietly. "What thoughts cloud your mind, my dearest?"

Ryuuna looked back down at him, carefully taking hold of his cock within her hands. She gently brought the circle of her hands from his base to his tip, and as if it had been dragged out of him, its tapered end gathered a pearly fluid that threatened to drip.

"I am… wondering if you would allow me to taste you," she said finally, nervously.

His stunned silence was her only answer for some time, but ere long, his hand came to rest upon her crown. His fingers tangled through her hair, caressing her in an exceedingly careful manner.

"Of course," he whispered. "You may do with me whatever your heart so desires."

Ryuuna desired him. She desired his pleasure, his joy, his everything--but to speak so selfishly was not her nature. She smiled up at him, hopelessly and in full adoration.

"Please let me know if I should stop," she requested ere she leaned in and kissed him gently upon his tip, feeling his searing heat pulsating through his thin flesh.

Haurchefant let out a soft moan, a muffled plea to his god that had her move far more boldly upon him.

Only by the virtue of their physical discrepancies was she unable to have him fully in her mouth, though she had tried nonetheless. His tapered tip, though thinner than the rest of him, was only barely able to fit past her lips. An attempt to take more of him had her jaw ache and the skin by her lips to stretch painfully; she could take naught more of him without harming herself.

She would content herself with the meagre few ilms she could swallow.

She wrapped her hands around what little girth she could hold and she lapped at that viscous fluid that ever beaded at his tip, keeping her eyes fixed up towards Haurchefant where he gazed back at her.

The salty tang of his fluids tasted all the better with the sheer disbelief evident upon his countenance, that indescribably beautiful affection that bloomed across his visage as she continued to lick and to suck at his cock.

His hand remained upon her crown, stroking her hair, and he rubbed his thumb along the curve of her horn. He let out a whimper when she pulled her lips from him to gasp, shivering at how the drag of his skin settled at the base of her skull, echoing within the marrow of her bones.

"Ryuuna," Haurchefant groaned. "I did not tell you to stop. Please,  _ never _ stop."

"I am not stopping," she replied firmly, unable to stop herself from smiling at the moue that now painted his countenance.

His touch upon her horn turned into a caress, his palm flat against the keratin. He had long since learnt that such a touch nearly left her insensate, overwhelmed by the sheer  _ loudness _ of his scales rasping against her flesh.

Even the howling of a storm could not drown out his touch.

The texture of his scales, silken and slick in a manner that defied description; it formed a vibration that wrote its way into the deepest recesses of her head and made her--want, she wanted him to ever touch her, to possess her in such a manner. He was within her skull, he filled her every sense.

And he continued to speak, voice barely audible over his claws clacking against her horns.

" _ Halone _ , you merely wished to drive me to insanity with me yearning," he proclaimed with a false sorrow. "You have had your taste, and have allowed mineself the taste of an unattainable reward."

She could have easily coaxed him into touching her. He clearly wished to, with his hands that began to wander down towards her neck and pulled at the collar of her coat. However, she wished to continue to taste him and watch him as she had never been able to ere that moment.

She pulled his hand from her horns, interlacing their fingers instead where he would distract her not.

"Stay still, please," Ryuuna requested. "I am yet finished."

She kissed the side of his cock, nuzzling him between her cheek and her shoulder. She rubbed her free fingers against those translucent scales, feeling how he trembled at her touch and how those scales hardened all the more, clearly acting in some way to display his pleasure.

Haurchefant sighed her name once more, near-crooned in delight as she lathed his cock with her eager tongue. His fingers tightened around hers, his claws digging into the skin upon the back of her hand and wrists.

Mayhap she would never pleasure him as she could with an ordinary man, but she would do her best nonetheless.

  
  


It had not taken long for Ryuuna to realise that her lips and hands alone were not enough to bring him to his peak, at least--not swiftly.

Her tongue was a gentle swipe that could hardly satisfy him and her hands were far too small to grip him properly. She hesitated to squeeze him tight, knowing not how sensitive he was, and remained unable to do aught more than to swallow his tip and to stroke him ineffectively with hands that could not circle him in full. Thus, she had inadvertently become a torturous tease upon his cock by the very nature of her stature.

Rather expectedly, Haurchefant adored it.

He had made it exceedingly plain to her eyes that he found that excruciatingly slothful climb to satisfaction delightful with his moans and whispers, his comments plein with sin murmured into her horn with an abandon that begged her to continue.

However, they had not the time for slow and gradual pleasure, and when she chanced a look towards the canopy, she could see how the sun had risen all the higher.

Aymeric would soon wake.

Ryuuna finally pulled her mouth from him and licked his slick from her lips. "Could I now have you within me?" She asked.

Haurchefant promptly lifted her, burying his face into her hair and kissing her repeatedly all over her countenance. "Oh, my love," his words came as a sigh. "Of course.  _ Of course _ ."

Her thighs spread to hook her knees around his hips, and his cock pressed insistently against her backside. His hands held her aloft four fulms from the ground, but she trusted in his strength.

She reached down, guiding him into her even as he gripped her tighter around her waist and pulled her upon his length.

She had been left waiting long enough that she near dripped with her desire; he slid against her, too slippery and large to find any purchase whatsoever to enter her.

"You are silk, my love," he cooed into her hair. He released her waist with one hand, somehow able to bear her entirely weight with one arm. "Gorgeous, wondrous, warm…"

"You needn't say that," Ryuuna mumbled, overwhelmed with her embarrassment. She doubtlessly reddened all the darker when with the back of his fingers, he spread her folds obscenely wide.

Haurchefant had a smile upon his lips, and he kissed her countenance gently. "I adore you," he said surprisingly firmly. "Deny me not the chance to remind you of mine affections."

"But…" Her protestations fell silent, quelled by the sincerity within his eyes. "Okay," she whispered finally.

His smile widened. "Shall I tell you how fantastic you feel?" He then asked, and promptly did so.

She had never felt quite as flustered as in that moment. Haurchefant's voice was utter filth, sounding out words innocent that became lewd under the context that they were caught.

Under his eyes and touch and words, she was very much exposed--but despite the chagrin, she pressed the head of his cock between her legs once more, coaxing him into her core.

Haurchefant's praise faded momentarily into a soft moan.

As ever, his girth stretched her to her fullest limit, each magnificent ilm of his cock that breached her heralding a greater width with which to fill her.

He entered her slowly, hips rocking to and fro, each motion allowing him to slide deeper within, and whenever he managed to catch his breath, he whispered his love for her.

With only her back braced upon the tree, she had no such purchase upon ground nor surface to move as she desired. He fit within her exquisitely, and she was left trembling as he drew back.

  
  


Ryuuna returned to the glade with Haurchefant by her side, far too aware that she was not in any shape or form presentable with her rumpled hair and clothing. Her trousers were stained with grass and dirt, and she was still weak upon her legs from Haurchefant's rather thorough use of her.

Haurchefant had declared her radiant, but she doubted the objectivity of his words when reaching up into her hair found her displacing twigs and leaves buried in her tresses. There was no denying his sincerity.

Haurchefant kept a hand upon her back, his palm flat and warm against her spine; it was most likely due to this that she had not stumbled yet despite her shaky knees.

It became evident that Aymeric had awoken in their absence as they approached their campsite. He had set up a small fire to heat up a bowl of what appeared to be dried grains and water, his back facing them as he crouched over the flames, and their fur rolls had been stowed away.

"Good morning!" Haurchefant greeted cheerfully, moving forward to clasp Aymeric's shoulder. He was promptly brushed off, Aymeric shying away from the hand.

Haurchefant drew his hand back, rather alarmed by the vitriol in the manner that his hand had been pushed away.

"--We should leave within the hour," Aymeric's voice came gently, though tension remained conspicuous in the curtness of his words. "We shouldn't tarry."

Ryuuna gave pause, unused to his ire.

"Aymeric? Are you…" She reconsidered her words. "What is wrong?"

Finally, the man looked over his shoulder towards her.

"Nothing is wrong," he stated. Then, looking ever so slightly chagrined, he added, "that is… Nothing I would be willing to talk about."

With such a remark, how could she continue to ask him on his current state? She came forth, and she reached out for his hand in an attempt to provide him comfort. He did not take it, averting his eyes as if to pretend he had not seen her outreached hand.

"--If Estinien is with Lady Iceheart and… Alphinaud, was it? And they are indeed traveling together, they are likely on the move right now. We must leave soon if we wish to catch up with them,” said the man firmly.

There was an unspoken rebuke in his words. It seemed that he had been more than aware of their quiet tryst while he had been supposedly asleep.

Embarrassed despite herself, Ryuuna glanced up towards Haurchefant, who seemed utterly unrepentant in the face of Aymeric's subtle disapproval.

"Then let us tarry not!" The knight exclaimed with a grin, striding over to Ryuuna's abandoned bag and seizing it by its straps. Holding it within his hand, he carried it to the fireplace. “We shall eat, and then catch up with our quarry.”

"... The grains should be done," Aymeric said finally, giving the contents of the bowl one last stir.

They broke their fast in relative silence, Ryuuna unable to meet the eyes of either men and Aymeric determined to stay quiet despite Haurchefant's gentle comments that attempted to coax him into responding. Eventually, Haurchefant too fell silent, and they finished their repast swiftly.

It wasn’t merely for the conspicuous tension that they ate fast. Their meal was expectedly rather bland; Aymeric had used the last of their stock to make it, making it fortunate that they were close to Tailfeather.

Ryuuna moved to stifle the flames with soil, just as Aymeric wiped the used bowl out with the last of their potable water. When their belongings had been stowed away, she found that they all stood with naught to say to one another, awkward and the air most stifling.

She wished she had thought to take the bag from Haurchefant; mayhap with her hands occupied by her own pack, she would feel not as uncomfortable.

"We should… well, I should go to Tailfeather. I can enquire the folk there if Alphinaud and the others passed through, and trade for some food while I'm at it," she said nervously, finally changing a glance up at Aymeric.

He looked over at her briefly, and he nodded. He was unable to hold her gaze for long, however, and he turned to look towards the forest floor. “That would be for the best. Estinien is a distinctive man. If he passed through the area, he would surely be known to anyone who has seen him.”

Haurchefant laughed here, jovial and acting as if the tension in the air had no bearing upon himself. “Indeed he is, our Azure Dragoon!”

Aymeric let out a vague sound at the back of his throat, and Ryuuna sent Haurchefant a weak smile. He hardly seemed discouraged, and instead beamed at her with a radiant grin.

“I suppose I should go first,” Ryuuna said finally, unable to bear the unnatural pressure in the air from Aymeric’s reticence.

And so, she had set off to Tailfeather upon her stumbling feet once she had recovered her gil from her bag and left Aymeric and Haurchefant behind in the trees as she entered the village.

Mayhap it was cowardice that made her so swift to leave and slow to travel to the village. However, she soon found that Tailfeather was as busy as it ever was, full of trappers and merchants alike.

Ryuuna found herself smiling helplessly as she was greeted profusely by Colina, with whom she most frequently traded greetings.

"Back again, traveller?" The girl asked, grinning. “We haven’t seen you around in a while!”

Ryuuna inclined her head, far too grateful for Colina’s unassuming friendliness and chatter.

“We haven’t passed through the area recently,” she admitted, before looking about the camp. “Though… I wished to ask--have you seen a small group pass by? They should number three--a boy with white hair, a dragoon and… a woman,” she added, “found too with hair as white as snow.”

Colina’s features scrunched up in exaggerated thought, and she tapped at her own lip as if the act aided her in her contemplation. “Well… now that you mention it, they kinda sound familiar… But I only know one woman with hair that white, and she’s far too busy to talk to anyone other than Marcechamp. You might want to ask Marcechamp--he’d probably know more!”

The auri smiled, and thanked the girl profusely.

Trading goods could wait until after she spoke to Marcechamp. She had never had the need to talk to Tailfeather’s _ de facto  _ leader beyond the vague pleasantries that was required when she had accidentally bumped into him during one of her few visits, and she could only just recall the vague direction of his hut.

It took her wandering around the village before she found her way to Marcechamp’s residence, and she found the man sitting in a chair, looking rather contemplatively at the mug within his hands.

Rather chagrined at interrupting what was most likely a meditative silence, she knocked quietly upon his door to draw his attention.

He raised his head immediately, looking upon her with surprise. “Ah--the traveller!” He seemed to recognise her immediately, and he sent her a smile. “What brings you to my doorstep? Not trouble, I’d ‘ope.”

Ryuuna was quick to raise her hands, shaking her head in denial. “No! Of course not! At least, I  _ believe _ it isn’t any trouble. I was wondering if you could help me answer a few questions…”

Marcechamp gazed upon her for a few seconds, lifting his mug to take a swig of his drink. He rather took his time, taking more than a few large gulps of his drink before setting it down.

“... Well? Take a seat if it’s goin’ to be more than just  _ a few _ questions,” said the hunter.

She nervously shuffled deeper into the room, taking the seat that he gestured towards with a lazy hand. “Well--I… was looking for my, um, friends. They’re travelling as a group, and Colina mentioned she believed they passed through the area… I was wondering if you could tell me where they went?”

Marcechamp’s eyes narrowed upon her, looking rather suspiciously at her.

He remained silent, however, and it spurred her on to quickly add, “I am looking for Alphinaud--the boy with white hair! He’s travelling with Estinien--the dragoon, and… and a woman.”

She was unsure if she should use Iceheart’s moniker lest the man before her accuse her of attempting to consort with heretics. She’d never known the peoples of Tailfeather to care much for heresy--but with its frequent tradings with Ishgard, she could never be too sure.

“An’ I’m supposed to trust you on account of your words alone that they are, indeed, your friends?” He asked sarcastically.

Ryuuna’s eyes were wide as she stared at Marcechamp, unable to answer him.

The hunter finally snorted. “--Well, it wouldn’t do any harm to tell you where they went. The damned dragoon’s tough enough t’ fend you and yours off if it turns out you mean harm to them.” He set the mug on the table, and stared at her intently. “They headed west, into Gnath territory. And if I heard Ysayle right, they’re headed towards Anyx Trine. Make with this information what you will.”

Ysayle? Ryuuna could only assume that that was Lady Iceheart’s name. However, she could not ask him whether her suspicions were true.

Marcechamp leaned back into his chair, and waved a hand dismissively at her.

It seemed he was done talking to her. However, she was hardly one to refuse an opportunity to escape the scrutiny of others. She stammered out an awkward word of gratitude ere she made her way out of his hut, quick to return to the comfort of the small marketplace outside.

It was another bell before she could return to her lovers, now laden with food apt for their travels and also now armed with medicine and other essentials that she believed that they would need in the future.

She had attempted to pick the lightest of foods, and yet she had somehow found herself holding a sac that was far too heavy for herself to carry. She stooped to the side, barely capable of keeping the bag from slipping out of her grip and onto the forest floor.

It was rather fortunate that they were found not too far away from Tailfeather.

Aymeric and Haurchefant were found by a nearby stream, having refilled their waterskins in the time they awaited her. Judging by the ease in tension in the air, it seemed that the men had spoken in her absence--and Aymeric could now meet her gaze, sending her a small and apologetic smile.

She smiled back at him, her heart lightened for all that her hands remained burdened by her trove of traded goods.

“--Judging by your full hands, I suspect that the merchants, at the very least, were a fruitful venture?” Haurchefant remarked with a grin.

“They were. One of them even stocked sweetmeats on the off-chance that I would visit--so now, we even have caramels!” Ryuuna remarked triumphantly.

Haurchefant let out a curious and intrigued hum, reaching over to snag the bag of goods from her hands. She was quick to relinquish it, yet to be used to carrying such heavy weight for long periods of time.

Aymeric came forward as well, his hands full of their waterskins. “And… what of Lady Iceheart and her companions?”

“They are headed west, according to Marcechamp,” Ryuuna said quietly. “Through a territory owned by peoples called the Gnath?”

"--Farther west? Then… they must have headed for dragon territory. But for what?" Haurchefant asked, brows furrowed. "Aymeric, you'd know these lands better than I. What can be found beyond this forest?"

“Marcechamp said something about an… Onyx Trine?” She added, recalling vaguely the name that the man had mentioned.

Aymeric, too, looked perplexed for a moment. "I believe that you refer to Anyx Trine,” he corrected gently. “I believe that that is the name of the heretical towers to the west of these lands.”

They were silent for a brief moment, each with their own thoughts.

“I’ve always known the Gnath to be reticent peoples. It should not be difficult to make our way through their lands to Anyx Trine,” Aymeric said finally. “We should head west--and catch up with Estinien and Lady Iceheart ere they escape us permanently.”

“With this land being far more populous with dragons, we should be able to fly far more openly,” Haurchefant added thoughtfully. As he spoke, he reached out to snag the waterskins from Aymeric’s hands, placing them into what little space remained in the bags that he held. “We should be able to travel farther distances--and search for them far more efficiently.”

“But that assumes that they are no longer within the woods,” Ryuuna pointed out. “I have not a clue how far these forests extend, but… I would assume they are quite vast?”

Haurchefant shrugged, grinning. “We shall have to see. We shall never find out otherwise!”

Ryuuna nodded.

“Then let us away,” Aymeric stated firmly. His arms came up, the motion aborted when he seemed to realise something. However, she reached out to take hold of his hand, more than willing to allow him to hold her. 

He sent her a weak smile, and carefully took her into his arms.

Beside them, Haurchefant sent Ryuuna a cheerful wave with his laden hands, and he took off into the air with an ease that belied the force of his wings. Strong gusts were conjured as he took off into the canopy and beyond the leaves--and Aymeric was slow to follow, his ascent far more laborious than Haurchefant’s.

Haurchefant led their way west, his scales scintillating in the midday sun--and beyond him, Ryuuna could see a trio of spires in the distance, at the base of a mountain that rose high up into the skies and breached even the clouds themselves in the heavens above.

It seemed that that was their current destination.

**Author's Note:**

> Winks and shamelessly promotes the Azem fanzine, The Sun's Journey, that I'm modding @ [FFXIVAzemZine](https://twitter.com/FFXIVAzemZine). Applications are closed, but please await future news!
> 
> I'm also found on Twitter @ [nymmiah](https://twitter.com/nymmiah), where I occasionally upload sketches and ideas.


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